Feed-water heater.



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i ttttt es No. 810,441. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. 0. L. STUMP.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I9. 1904.

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No.8l0,441 PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. 0. L.. STUMP.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLIQATION FILED AUG. 19, 1904.

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FEED WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.19. 1904.

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Witnesses UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFIOE.

l OMAN L. STUMP, OF MARION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN REIDENBAUGH AND ONE-THIRD TO EDWIN D. PACKARD, BOTH OF MA- RION, OHIO.

FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, OMAN L. STUMP, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Marion,

in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filters for Feed-WaterHeaters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein-to the accompanying drawings. e

This invention relates to filters for feedwater heaters, and has for its object to provide a filter for use in connection with any approved form of open feed-water heater, which filter shall be to a great extent practically self-cleaning while in use, thereby avoiding the necessity of frequent stoppages for the purpose of cleaning the filter, which may be readily and thoroughly cleaned without removing the same from the heater or vessel in which it is contained, which shall be of increased efiiciency not only by reason of its self-cleaning character, but also by reason of the large area of the filter-bed in proportion to the area of the filtering-chamber, and, by reason of the increased eiiiciency or thoroughness of the separation of the sediment from ssv the feed-water, which will be strong and durable, and readily assembled and taken apart when necessary.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a structure embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same in section on the line c 0c of Fig. 1. Fig.v

3 is a top plan view of the filter-bed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the same, taken on the line y y of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows 5 and Fig. 5

is a similar section taken on the linee .e of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my improvements as applied to a wellknown type of feed-water heater, known as the lopen type, the particular structure of this class chosen for purposes of illustration being the Cochrane heater set forth in United States Letters Patent N o. 420,718, of February 4, 1890, and No. 530,749, of December 11, 1894. I wish it understood, however, that my invention is not limited to this particular heater, but is capable of a wide range of application. In heaters of this class the exhaust-steam is admitted to the vessel or chamber l through a pipe 2 and passing through the open upper portion of the heater escapes through the outlet-pipe3. The feedwater is admitted to the heater through a pipe 4 and is brought into intimate contact with and thoroughly heated by the steam in the upper part of the heater, chemicals being introduced, if desired, along with the feedwater. The feed-Water is drawn off through a pipe 5, preferably by means of a pump, and a filter is interposed between the feed-water outlet and the upper part of the heater to eX- tract from the water the sediment de osited by the heating thereof and also that ormed by the chemical treatment of the water. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, the filter-bed thus employed has b een so constructed that it begins to clog with the sediment at once, and in twenty-four hours has become so clogged that it becomes necessary to put the heater out of use, empty and open it, and remove, clean, and replace the filter-bed. This involves either delay by way of stoppage of the plant or the employment of a duplicate set of heaters and in any event involves eX- pense in labor and a constantly-diminishing efficiency of the filter-bed while in use. To overcome these objections, I have devised a filter-bed composed of cloth or other suitable fabric, muslin being preferred, suitably supported, so as to maintain its position, which is inclined to the horizontal in such a wa that the sediment deposited on top of the filtering fabric will descend along the surface of the same, its descent being facilitated by the agitation of the water in the filtering-chamber, due to the pulsations of the steam-exhaust and of the feedump which draws off the feed-water. Pre erably this filter-bed extends diagonally across the filtering-chainber from the water-line downward to the bottom of said chamber, its diagonal position presenting a largely-increased area `of filtering-surface over the ordinary bed, which is horizontally arranged. In its preferred form the filter-bed comprises a plurality of sheets of filtering fabric, preferably of increasing iineness downward and separated by spacinggratings, so constructed as to permit the free and unobstructed downward passage of the sediment along the top surface of each fil- ICO tering-sheet. Provision is also made for supsurfaces may be positively and efl'ectually washed and cleaned without removing them from the heater or filtering-chamber in which they are placed.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the lower portion of the heater 1, which may be termed the hltering-chamber,7 is indicated by the reference-numeral 6, and to each of the side walls of said chamber there is secured an inclined support, preferably in the form of an angle-iron 7, extending diagonally downward from the neighborhood of the water-line to the neighborhood of the bottom of the chamber. At each end of these supports 7 vthere are located transverse supports 8 and 9, which being interposed between the filter-bed and that portion of the chambercontaining the filtered water constitute partitions which prevent the unfiltered water from passing around the ends of the filterbed, compelling it to pass through the said bed to reach the pure-water outlet. The lower support or partition 8 is located a short distance from the adjacent end wall of the chamber, thereby forming a sediment-chamber 10 at the bottom of the heater and at the foot of the inclined filter-bed. Blow-off or outlet pipes 11, provided with controllingvalves 12, communicate with this sedimentchamber, as shown.

The filter-bed in its preferred form is built up in the following manner. Upon the anglebars 7 there rests a supporting-grating 13, which is preferably built of a plurality of sections small enough to permit their introduction through the usual door in the side of the heater. Upon this supporting-grate 13 there rests a sheet of filtering fabric 14, which being the lowermost sheet is preferably of finer' texture than those above it. This sheet of filtering fabric is held in position by means of a grate 15 resting upon it and also preferably built up of a plurality of sections of a size such as to permit their ready introduction into the heater. Upon the grate 15 there rests a sheet of filtering fabric 16, preferably somewhat coarser than the fabric 14, and upon the sheet 16 there rests a grate 17, similar to the grate 15. The filter-bed may be built up of any desired number of sheets of fabric and grates; but in the present instance I have shown three of each, the grate 17 supporting a sheet of fabric 1S, preferably coarser than the sheet 16 and held in position by a superposed grate 19. The main supporting-grate 13 may be of any suitable construction which will support the parts above it and permit the passage of the filtered 'water. The upper grates, however, which serve to hold in place and also space apart or separate the sheets of filtering fabric, are so constructed that while their longitudinal bars 2O extend from fabric to fabric their cross-bars 21 are of less depth, extending downward only apart of the distance between the sheets of fabric, thus leaving longitudinal channels 22, which extend unobstructedly along the top of each sheet of fabric from the upper to the lower edge thereof. Thus each sheet of filtering fabric has the major portion of its upper surface entirely free and unobstructed in the direction of its inclination from end to end thereof, and no obstructions are present which would tend to cause the sediment to lodge upon said sheets or to prevent its free descent along the same and its free discharge from the lower end of each sheet into the sediment-chamber, The several gratings may be held in position Ain any suitable manner; but I prefer for that purpose the construction shown, in which each of the angle-irons 7 has extending upward therefrom studs or bolts 23, which pass through the several gratings to hold them in position. The gratings when constructed in sections are further held in position by means of bars 24, extending longitudinally of the bed over the top of the sections of the uppermost grate, these longitudinal bars being held in place by transverse bars 25, secured in position by the studs 23, the upper projecting ends of which are'threaded and receive nuts 26, which hold the bars 25 in position. By reason of this construction the filtering-bed may be readily taken apart and removed from the heater when necessary and as readily replaced. The filter-bed thus constructed is to a great extent self-cleaning. The feed-water must pass through every one ofthe several sheets in order to reach the outlet and will deposit its sediment upon the upper surfaces of the several sheets, any sediment which may pass through the coarser sheets being arrested by the finer ones. The pulsations of the exhaust-steam in the upper chamber of the heater, or those of the feedpump connected to the outlet-pipe 5, or both, cause a pulsation or agitation of the water within the heater which is imparted to the sheets of filtering fabric. The natural tendency of the sediment is to pass downward by gravity along the inclined unobstructed surfaces of the filtering-sheets, and this natural tendency is reinforced by the pulsations of the said sheets, which prevent the sediment from adhering to their surfaces and cause it to move steadily downward toward the sediment-chamber, In case, however, by an extended period of continuous use or from other causes the filteri'ngcloths become clogged to an extent which diminished their efficiency provision is made for cleaning them without removing them from the heater or in any way disturbing them. To this end there is located within the heater at IOO IIO

the top of the filtering-chamber and extending transversely across the same at the upper end of the filtering-bed a wash-pipe 27, connected with a supply of water under pressure by a pipe 28, having a controlling-valve 29. Within the heater the pipe 27 is slotted or otherwise apertured, as indicated at 30, so as to discharge the wash-water upon the sheets of filtering material of which the bed is composed, such discharge taking place at the upper ends of said sheets. Preferably the upper end of the filter-bed is inclosed between the support or partition 9 at its lower edge and a partition 31 at its upper edge, so as to form a chamber 32, in which the pipe 27 is located and discharges and with which the upper ends of the spaces between the grates of which the bed is composed are in free communication. In this way a full supply of water to each of the sheets is assured. When it is desired to wash the filter-bed, the heater may be emptied and washed by water under pressure supplied from the pipe 27, which water will descend along the upper surfaces of the filtering-sheets and will thoroughly clean the same and wash the sediment down into the sediment-chamber 10, from which it can be readily removed through the pipes 11. Of course the sedimentchamber may be blown out in the usual manner through these pipes at any time. A thorough washing of Vthe filter-bed is rendered possible by its` inclined position, such washing not ticable in the ter-bed.

In practice I have found that the structure which I have devised is capable of continuous use for long periods without any interruption in the operation of the heater, its efficiency being high, owing to its self-clearing character and to the relatively large amount of water which is therefore permitted to pass through it. When its efficiency does become impaired by clogging, it can be readily and quickly cleaned without removal from the heater and at a small fraction of the expense and time ordinarily required.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as it is obvious that these details may be modied without departing from the principles of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A feed-water heater having a steam space or chamber above and a filtering-chamber below, and a filtering-bed extending in an inclined position across said filtering-chamber to make it self-cleaning, the water inlet and outlet being respectively on the upper being praccase of the usual horizontal filand under sides of said filtering-bed, substantially as described.

2. A feed-water heater having a steam space or chamber above and a filtering-chamber below, and a filtering-bed extending across the said filtering-chamber in an inclined position from about the water-line to the bottom of the chamber to make it selfcleaning, the water inlet and outlet being respectively on the upper and under sides of said bed, substantially as described.

3. A feed-water heater having a steamchamber above and a filtering-chamber below, an inclined filtering bed extending across the filtering-chamber between the water inlet and outlet, its inclination making it self-cleaning, and a sediment-chamber located at the foot of the filtering-bed and provided with a sediment outlet or blow-0H, substantially as described.

4. A feed-water heater having `a steamchamber above and a filtering-chamber below, and a filtering-bed extending in an inclined position across said filtering-chamber between the feed-water inlet and outlet, the inclination of the bed making the same selfcleaning by the discharge of the deposit from its upper surface by gravity, the heater being provided with a wash-water conduit located at the upper end of said filtering-bed, connected with a source of supply of water under pressure, and adapted to direct the same over the filtering-bed to wash therefrom any deposit not discharged therefrom in the normal operation of the structure, substantially as described.

5. A feed-water heater having a steamchamber above and a filtering-chamber below, and a filtering-bed extending in an inclined position across said filtering-chamber between the feed-waterinlet and outlet, the inclination of the bed making the same selfcleaning by the discharge of the deposit from its upper surface by gravity, the heater being provided with a wash-water conduit located at the upper end of said ilterin -bed, connected with a source of supply o water under pressure, and adapted to direct the same over the filtering-bed to wash therefrom any deposit not discharged therefrom in the normal operation of the structure, said heater being also provided with a sediment-chamber located at the foot of the filtering-bed and having a sediment outlet or blow-of, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OMAN L. STUMP.

Witnesses:

' JOHN REIDENBAUGH,

WILLIAM DAvIs.

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